Fabulous Photo Gifts Blog makeover

Technology marches ever onward and with Fabulous Photo Gifts now becoming the main focal point of this Blog, it seemed only fitting to drop Purple 13 from the blog title as part of a visual makeover.

However, fans and followers of Mandy's digital photo art, sold under her studio name of Purple 13 needn't be to downhearted. As a tribute to the contribution, Purple 13 news has made to this Blog, we will continue to post Purple 13 articles and news here.

And our Profile picture will continue to be 'Eve's Apple' - an award winning piece by Mandy Collins.

We've merely dropped Purple 13 from the title to avoid confusion.

Many thanks for your continued support.

Like the new design? Leave us your comments and suggestions on what you'd like to see.

Two new charities sign up for Funds for Life

Two new fund raisers joined our 'Funds for Life' scheme this weekend.

The first - Twins With SMA (www.twinswithsma.co.uk) is raising awareness of Spinal Muscular Atrophy as well as raising funds for two very special little boys who were recently diagnosed as suffering from SMA type 2. The funds raised will help provide for specialist equipment helping to make their lives as normal as possible.

The other fund raisers are raising funds to enable another little boy to also live as normal a life as possible and they've welcomed the new Funds for LIfe scheme calling it "A fantastic opportunity". You can contact them via their website for Ashley at www.ashleysraceforwheels.com

If you'd like to find out more about how your school, group, team, club or charity could benefit for life from our innovative and admin' free scheme, then either contact Fabulous Photo Gifts or get your own copy of the 'Funds for Life' scheme details by clicking here.



http://www.fabulousphotogifts.co.uk/funds_for_life.doc

Need a website design to host your funds for life scheme participation?

Now that we've launched our exciting fund raising scheme – 'Funds for Life' – for the benefit of all schools, clubs, teams, charities etc, and after taking an enquiry earlier today, we appreciate that many of you might be thinking to yourselves “If only we had our own website to help us raise money”.

Well, believe it or not, we can help you with that as well. Fabulous Photo Gifts has its own web designer (also our technical partner), and to stop him fiddling with our own website “you know engineers, they love to change things” kind of approach, we thought he'd be better occupied designing websites for other people.

In fact apart from Fabulous Photo Gifts and Purple13, which he's always updating etc, he's also recently completed several websites design and builds.

You can view them here – www.edt.uk.com: a motor retail industry training provider, www.tvwindows.com: a double glazing company and www.twinswithsma.co.uk: a focal information and fund raising site for two twins diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

In fact, twinswithsma.co.uk has already joined our 'Funds for Life' scheme so their website is a good example of how you can integrate your own scheme membership into an existing website.

All of these projects were 'blank canvas' jobs, meaning clients preferred to leave design choices and functionality to us, whilst just providing the text and pictures.

Price is dependent on the level of functionality and the amount of pages involved. One thing we will stress is that you will always get more than you pay for.

We can offer the full package – web design, maintenance and updates, Blog and RSS management, even domain registration and hosting (.co.uk or .com's only). Website optimisation is built in as standard and we'll even include search engine submission (by hand) and participation of the Google Site Map program.

So fret no more. Fabulous Photo Gifts really can help you make your web dreams a reality.

Visit our contact page and drop us a line outlining our needs and ambitions and we'll be in touch, all without obligation of course. It may just be we're able to impart some of our hard earned knowledge to you during our conversation.

Funds for Life - fund raising scheme launch

It's took us a while but we finally launched possibly the most exciting fund raising scheme ever with our innovative 'Funds for Life' scheme – a lifetime of fund raising opportunity for your school, group, club, team, charity or other good cause.

And because we know the last thing you want is to be bogged down with more admin, we've taken care of that too.

Here's how it all works.

Your school, club, team etc makes a single bulk purchase of at least 50 photo jigsaws from any of the range available. When we deliver the jigsaws, we also include an information sheet about the Funds for Life scheme and your unique order code.

Thereafter, every single personal order we receive with your unique scheme number, we'll donate 5% of the total basket total to your 'good cause'. And that's it! For Life!

Your parents, team members etc can spread the word and encourage their families and friends to use your special scheme order code when they're shopping for personalised gifts and raise even more money for you.

There's no limit on the number of orders allowed and the 5% applies to any of our photo gifts – not just the jigsaws. And because we're always adding new and exciting personalised photo gift ideas, you'll be able to raise even more funds.

We send you a cheque for your 'commission' every quarter, plus any personal orders we receive, whether online or by post get a reminder of your groups unique code ready for their next order.

All we ask is that your personal scheme code is used at least 5 times a year and that's it.

How to use your unique order code:
Visit Fabulous Photo Gifts (www.fabulousphotogifts.co.uk)
Enter your unique code and submit it.
Then 'click' to start personalising the photo gift of your choice.

When we receive your order, your unique code is displayed beside each basket item so we know exactly which school, team, charity etc to send the funds too.

Remember, you must type in and submit your unique code before starting you photo gift shopping experience!

For more information or to find out how your 'good cause' can benefit from the life-long fund raising iniative from Fabulous Photo Gifts, please contact us.

Click here to view the Funds for Life scheme in more detail
Click here to contact Fabulous Photo Gifts and get your good cause 'enrolled' with your own bulk jigsaw order.

Funds for Life – from Fabulous Photo Gifts.

Thank you for taking the time to write back to us

In the words of the Carpenters song - "Mr Postman look and see if there's a letter for me?"

Fabulous Photo Gifts continues to amaze and delight customers with the quality of customer support and the photo gift itself. In fact, just this Sunday gone, the office phone rang and was of course answered.

The caller was so enthusiastic in her praise for our service and helpfulness, that it took her a full five minutes to get to the purpose of her call (checking to see if we'd received her postal order).

She asked what happened next? What did she have to do?

The answer is very simple. Once we've received your order (either by post with accompanying payment or online) we process your image, adjust for balance, levels and contrast etc, re-size as required (in proportion) before checking if any cropping is required to fit the photo gift ordered.

If it involves a serious crop, then we'll usually try to contact the customer and seek advice - even if that means emailing thumbnails of what the image will look like once cropped.

All you have to do is sit back and wait for the postman. Currently our Jigsaw orders are made and delivered in about 10 days, whilst our new CD photo clocks are made and deliverd in 5 days. (During busy periods, delivery may be within 14 working days - please contact us if your order is urgent).

So with such attentive service, it's no wonder that we still get regular comments like:

"I was delighted with the jigsaw thank you very much, it arrived this morning.

Kind Regards"
L.

"Hi Mandy - thanks for getting back to me. The post-man has just delivered the puzzle this very minute!! Looks great, thanks"
A.

If you'd like to read more about what our customers are saying about us, then click here. If you'd like to purchase your next gift from a small, friendly company that really cares about its customers, then click here for some photo gift inspiration.

P.S. If you submit a picture of someone receiving their fabulous photo gift, we'll publish it on our website and enter you into our free yearly prize draw!

Latest Customer Feedback for Fabulous Photo Gifts

We don't like to sing our own praises too much here at Fabulous Photo Gifts, however, when we keep receiving such glowing testimonials, we feel justified in sharing them with you.

However, far from resting on our laurels, we're just as keen to impress you with our quality of service and product. Take a moment to read just some of the many emails we regularly receive - quite unprompted.

We're sure you'll be as impressed as we are delighted.

"The jigsaw has arrived. What brilliant and friendly service.

We will be placing more orders. The people I have already told, but sworn to secrecy re the present will all be looking at your site. Once my wife has got the present, with your permission I would like to send the details to all my friends for the next time they want something special.

Once again thanks for everything"
R.

"I just wanted to say thank you very much for the fantastic jigsaw and service that you provided. The jigsaw was lovely, the recipient thought it was great. I have shown several people the jigsaw and given them your website address as I was really impressed and wanted to pass your details on."
C J.

Thank you for your kind endorsements of our service.

To read more testimonials - visit the Fabulous Photo Gifts testimonial page - click here.

Don't forget Fathers Day on June 17th

If there's one thing we've learned in the photo gift business, it's that it's never too early to start thinking about those special days in the year when it seems like the whole world is trying to order a personalised photo gift at the same time.

For example – Fathers Day (Sunday June 17th 2007) might seem a long way off - “what's the rush?” I hear you cry. Well being a Dad myself, I'd hate to think my family were on the edge of their seats hoping they'd receive the fabulous photo gift they'd ordered from those very nice people at Fabulous Photo Gifts.

You see, because each and every personalised photo gift order is made to order (obviously), and because of the ink and bonding drying times between processes, depending on the gift you've chosen, our turnaround times from receipt to delivery of your order can be between 5 and 14 days (normally).

Our Photo Jigsaws – possibly the largest online range of sizes you can personalise with your own photo – go through several stages of production – they're certainly not the 'fast-food' of gifts, rather a quality gift that will bring enjoyment for years to come, and are usually delivered in around 10 working days.

Our new Photo CD Clocks, which make a particularly good Father's Day gift idea – perfect for Dad's office desk, are usually delivered within 5 working days from receipt of your order.

So, when we say please don't leave it to late to order, we really only thinking of you (or your Dad) – dig out that digital file (or photograph if you'd like us to scan it for you – FREE of charge) and get ordering today.

After all, I'm a Dad myself!

Fabulous Photo Gifts sponsors Twins with SMA website

Hi.

We'd like to indulge in a little private moment to bring you news of two very special little boys... Sam and Alex Bolton.

They were recently diagnosed with SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy)and as you can imagine, their parents world just fell apart around them.

They're a smashing family and Fabulous Photo Gifts has pledged to help them raise much needed funds to help provide for the boys and hopefully enable them to live as normal a life as possible.

To that end, Fabulous Photo Gifts is sponsoring all their web design and ongoing website updates etc.

You can visit the twins website and read more about this remarkably brave family as well as find all the details you'll need to make a donation (should you wish to do so).

The website also contains other helpful information on SMA as well as links to other sources of information.

Thank you.

London Marathon theme music - a bit like 633 squadron?

We ran a very successful banner on our home page highlighting the great gift idea our photo jigsaws and clocks make when combined with your finishing photo from your London Marathon run.

The banner also added our own congratulations to all those runners taking part, including our neighbour who so far has raised more than £2000 for National Autistic Society and also the Holbrook Centre for Autism.

The reason I mention the above is that driving earlier today, Classic Fm played the 'London Marathon Theme' music. A very British piece of music I think and it always reminds me of those old war films – particularly the RAF features like Dambusters or 633 Squadron. (I know i'm showing my age here).

All in all – stirring stuff indeed and if ever a little mental lift was needed some way around the route, then humming the music to yourself can't help but inspire.

Luckily, ordering your fabulous photo gifts is a little bit easier than running a marathon. Simply choose the jigsaw puzzle or other gift of your choice, personalise it online by uploading your own photograph or image, then checkout.

Delivery is advised at 14 days for personalised jigsaw orders, although at present, we are delivering usually within 10 days.

Our new personalised Photo Clocks are normally delivered inside of 5 days.

Don't just send a postcard - send a puzzle postcard

We just wanted to introduce you to the newest addition to our personalised photo jigsaws line up – the Puzzle Postcards.

These ingenious little jigsaws feature a 15 piece jigsaw within a solid border, which is then covered by a clear plastic sheet, so that the completed jigsaw image shows through. The clear plastic sheet adheres to the jigsaw border during postage, but is easily removed by the recipient.

The back has the traditional postcard written message and postal address spaces.

The whole thing can be posted (or if you prefer mailed) out to the addressee. Imagine their surprise when they receive such an unusual postcard. A postcard that they can make time and time again.

The completed jigsaw (front) image can be any image or artwork of your choice making them a great marketing or business promotion tool.

Plus, the space left by the removal of the jigsaw pieces can feature another message/image.

Measuring 10cm by 15cm, their weight conforms to postcard postal rates.

And because of the clever manufacturing process, unlike our other bulk jigsaw prices which allow only 1 image per bulk quantity, you can specify up to 9 different images / artworks per order (minimum of 500 per image) and an additional image for inside the border.

We must stress that although these clever little postcard puzzles are competitively priced, because of current production techniques, we can only accept orders in quantities of 4,500 (9 x 500 images) or multiples thereof.

Although with such a multitude of different uses – marketing – product launch – corporate awareness – gift shop etc, we're sure you'll have no trouble in finding your own unique uses for our new postcard puzzles.

If you'd like to see an example of our postcard puzzles, click here to visit the postcard puzzle page at Fabulous Photo Gifts and download our flyer (.pdf format).

Alternatively contact Fabulous Photo Gifts for more information about how our newest postcard puzzles, plus our range of other bulk buy personalised photo jigsaw prices can enhance your business.

Bulk prices are also available for resellers, please contact us for more information.

Latest international sale for Purple 13

News reaches us that an Italian publisher has just licenced a photograph taken by Purple 13 artist and Fabulous Photo Gifts proprietor - Mandy Collins.

The photograph showing a young ginger kitten standing up at a washing machine trying to 'paw' at the clothes spinning round, was licenced for a limited print run of several thousand copies on an inside cover.

The kitten in question is called Amy and some two years later is about to give birth to kittens herself (either that or she's swallowed a basketball!) so we'll be updating everyone soon with links to the new kitten photo's.

If you can't wait till then and need a quick dose of oohhhh and aaaahhhh, then visit the previous kitten galleries at:

Kittens gallery 1
Kittens gallery 2

Meoww!