We advertise in All Things Local - Community Magazine, Belper, Derbyshire

There's a bit of a buzz in Fabulous Photo Gifts office as our full page advert appears in this weekends new issue of All Things Local - a community magazine that is distributed to: Coxbench, Denby, Duffield, Holbrook, Horsley, Horsley Woodhouse, Kilburn, Little Eaton, Lower Kilburn, Milford, Morley and Smalley in Derbyshire, UK.

Our web designer has designed the new All Things Local website which also goes live this weekend to coincide with Issue 4's publication.

The All Things Local website is designed to compliment the printed magazine which is printed and distributed every two months. Compiled by Editor Karyn Milner, the magazine is intended to encourage local people to use local businesses.

The magazine and website also contain details of clubs, groups and societies in the area as well as a what's on guide and emergency and school telephone numbers for the area.

The website has a directory of local businesses that advertise in the All Things Local pubilcation and repeats the main editiorial features - recipe, wine and Sam's column as well as offering exclusive online competitions in conjunction with Fabulous Photo Gifts.

It's well worth a visit and a great resource of local information for the Belper area. Click here to visit the All Things Local website now.

Hurry - last few days for FREE Jigsaw offer

Ho Ho Ho!

Well, actually, it's no laughing matter. Our FREE photo jigsaw offer with every order over £50 is coming to an end this Friday 30th November 2007.

So you've only got a few more days to bag an incredible FREE extra Christmas present when placing your order.

You can choose between a 15 or 24 piece small (approx A5 size) wooden jigsaw puzzle personalised with any of the images from your order.

If we don't hear from you with your preferences the same day as you place your order, we'll choose a jigsaw at random and select the best photo in terms of crop and fit from your other order photographs.

So last few days everyone to bag a free personalised photo jigsaw puzzle at Fabulous Photo Gifts. Click here to start shopping now.

Picture of the winning bouquet minus Mandy

Here's the picture you've all been waiting for.... well almost. You see Mandy (the proprietor of Fabulous Photo Gifts), the same Mandy that is an award winning digital photo artist and has won national awards as well as selling her images worldwide, the same Mandy that is a whizz with digital photographic manipulation.... doesn't like having her photo taken.

So instead of a picture of her with her beautiful bouquet, I've had to settle for a picture of the bouquet amidst a bulk order of personalised photo mugs she was wrapping and preparing to post out, at the time.

We're really in the thick of those precious Christmas orders now, so if you're thinking of ordering a personalised photo gift for someone as a Christmas present, then don't leave it to late. Last order dates have now been published - click here - to view them.

We'll see you there.

Free Bouquet dilemma – update

Free Bouquet dilemma – update!

Hi – well there was such a response to the free flowers dilemma I faced (see yesterdays blog entry) that I felt it only proper to keep you all up to date.

You'll recall my winning a free bouquet from those nice people at Go! Smell the Flowers, but who to give them to? Mandy, Mum or as a colleague suggested – the prettiest girl in the office!

Well, I ordered earlier using my free code and I've had them sent to my workplace here in Derby.

Now before you all start thinking “Ah he went for the pretty girl in the office option”, whilst the card does read to the prettiest, hard working girl in the office, I will be giving the flowers to....... Mandy.

My problem when I analysed it was not so much who but where that person would be in order to receive the delivery. The solution after sleeping on it was obvious – have them delivered to me and I can hand deliver them to Mandy myself.

So happy outcomes all round and thank you for following events.

I'll post a picture of the bouquet in the Fabulous Photo Gifts office for you.

And if you're stuck for an original present idea, then head over to Fabulous Photo Gifts where we have a great range of photo gifts – jigsaw puzzles, chopping board, mugs, mousemats, tea trays etc to personalise with your own photos.

Xmas Orders Deadlines - Last Orders for Xmas Dates

Last orders for Christmas 2007

Hi everyone. Yes the guy in the big red suit (no – not Lenny Henry) is getting ready to bring joy to the millions (OK so it might be Lenny Henry).... seriously though, Christmas draws ever nearer and just as Santa has a deadline for receiving those very important lists, so we at Fabulous Photo Gifts have an equally important deadline to tell you about.

LAST ORDERS FOR CHRISTMAS DEADLINES:

For boxed jigsaws, you must order by Friday 7th December. Orders received after this date for Boxed Jigsaws cannot be guaranteed to arrive before Christmas.

For all other gifts including our Wooden Jigsaws, you must order by Thursday 13th December. Orders received after this date for Wooden Jigsaws and other Photo Gifts cannot be guaranteed to arrive before Christmas.

The above deadlines apply to UK postal delivery addresses.

So don't delay! If you're thinking of giving someone a fabulous photo gift personalised with your own photograph, then the time to order is now.

Please also be aware due to the increase in orders during November and December, stated delivery times may not apply although we'll do our best to keep to them. If you have a particular deadline of your own, please contact us.

You can find these last order dates repeated on our website – click here.

Prize winning bouquet causes big problem

You'll excuse the personal nature of this entry, but earlier today, I learnt that I'd won a FREE bouquet of flowers to send to the recipient of my choice from those very nice people at Go! Smell the Flowers following my entry into their regular photo caption competition.

Very nice too, you might think, however, its caused a bit of a dilemma from which there is no escape!

My first thought was to send them to my partner Mandy, working very hard in the Fabulous Photo Gifts office, new office, no time to herself, busy busy etc. What could be nicer?

My other thought was to send them to my Mother in Cambridgeshire. Both her and my Father have been very poorly with colds and haven't ventured very far at all the last few weeks. What better way to brighten her day than to receive a surprise bouquet from her son?

Then a colleague chipped in with “Of course if you give them to Mandy, she'll claim that you only send her flowers when they're free – you never buy her flowers... so why should she accept them now? (Mandy's not really like that but apparently some women are?)

He then went on to suggest that if I gave them to my Mother, when Mandy learnt of it, she'd want to know why she hadn't been sent them. Dammed if you do, dammed if you don't approach!

As he saw it, the only way out was to send them to the prettiest girl in the office! Great Idea?? Is he mad? If that came out, I'd be picking glass out of my hot drinks for the rest of my life probably.

So that's the dilemma his thoughts have placed me in. Personally I'd like to give them to Mandy but I fear the logistics of making sure she's in when they were delivered presents too many problems. I'd stand more chance of getting them delivered to my Mum whose always in (except when she's not but my Dad probably would be).

I'm going to ponder the problem some more whilst I await the order code from Go! Smell'. In the meantime, watch this space to find out how I resolved the situation.

Fabulous Photo Gifts Webmaster.

Photo Gifts given in unusual ways

Photo Gifts given in unusual ways.

Of course personalised photo gifts make a great gift. But how you give that gift can also add to the fun or surprise element of the recipient.

For example, if your planning a proposal of marriage, then why not write “Will You Marry Me?” over a jigsaw with a picture of the two of you on it, break up the pieces and give them in a small gift bag?

This also works for any birthday treat like a holiday or day out etc. What better way to surprise someone? Perhaps a picture of the actual gift itself.

But it's not just personalised photo jigsaws that lend themselves to the theatrical, if you're giving a mug, why not give it to someone with a lovely morning cup of tea inside it, and wait for the fun to be realised?

Mousemats with your photo's on can also be a great way to surprise someone. If it's for a colleague at work, why not replace their usual mat with the personalised one just before they come in? Sit back and watch the fun as they realise.

A money box as a christening present with some money inside has always been popular – make it more so with a picture of the family or the baby on the money box itself.

Back to jigsaw puzzles and our boxed photo jigsaws come in a variety of sizes including a 2000 piece one. If you have puzzle fans in your family, the perhaps a picture of the family or their home? If you own holiday properties, then a jigsaw featuring the holiday home is a great idea for guests that are staying to amuse themselves with.

Not forgetting family and friends that are in hospital for extended periods or recuperating at home – what better way to show you're thinking of them than a personalised photo jigsaw or other gift? The jigsaw could feature a picture of family, favorite destinations or even a hobby the poorly person is looking forward to getting back to.

You'll find loads of great personalised photo gift ideas at Fabulous Photo Gifts – Click here to visit now.

People are shopping early for Christmas

With the launch of our FREE A5 wooden photo jugsaw with all orders over £50 (click here for full details), it seems customers of Fabulous Photo Gifts are really getting into shopping early for Christmas.

Here's what two customers had to say about their shopping experience at Fabulous Photo Gifts over the weekend....

"Once again, totally thrilled with my order.
I am over the moon, I love all the gifts and I will recommend you to everyone.
many thanks for such quick, efficient, and great quality business." M.M

"Thank you very much for getting back to me so soon, thats a very impressive service!" M.S

You can read more recent customer comments by clicking here.

Our FREE jigsaw offer is available until the 30th November so don't leave it till the last minute. Visit Fabulous Photo Gifts today (click here) and get your Christmas shopping started (or finished).

New 96 piece wooden photo jigsaw 'hits' the website

The other day in the Fabulous Photo Gifts workshop, Mandy (proprietor) remarked that there was a pile of wooden jigsaw 'blanks' that didn't seem to have moved... were they not a very popular size??

After a little sleuthing, she deduced that the reason the pile wasn't going down (unlike the rest of the jigsaws) was because the web designer (me) hadn't actually added them to the website! (ouch!)

Suffice to say that you can now avail yourselves of over 8 different wooden express photo jigsaw sizes to personalise with your own photographs (online) with the addition of our newest photo jigsaw - the 96 piece medium wooden jigsaw (approx A4 in size).

It features the same high quality gloss finish pieces but provides a little more of a challange than its closest partner - the 60 piece medium jigsaw.

So whilst your clicking here and adding our newest photo jigsaw to your basket, I'm off to grab an ice-pack!

Free A5 Photo Jigsaw (Worth £7.99) Offer

Free A5 Photo Jigsaw (Worth £7.99) Offer with every £50 spent.

At Fabulous Photo Gifts, we've never done a special offer before, but we thought a free personalised photo jigsaw (worth £7.99) might be a good place to start.
Because our Christmas build up is a bit like the old August 1st car registrations, we thought we could encourage a few of you to shop early for Christmas and earn a lovely free extra Christmas present – a photo jigsaw, in the process absolutely free of charge.

It's very simple (we hate complicated things here) – all you have to do is spend £50* or more in a single days transactions at Fabulous Photo Gifts. Then, once you've placed your order, simply email us with the preferred photo from your previous order/s, you'd like putting onto your free jigsaw and whether you'd prefer a 15 piece or 24 piece jigsaw.

We'll then take your preferred photograph and apply it to one of our beautiful A5 wooden jigsaws and send it along with the rest of your order.
If you don't contact us by the end of the day you order on, then we'll simply select the best photograph (in terms of quality, crop and fit) and apply it to either a 15 or 24 piece wooden jigsaw at random.

Our A5 wooden jigsaws feature a beautiful glossy finish and come ready made in a clear plastic wrapper. They make a great photo gift idea in their own right and would normally cost £7.99 plus postage.

For full *terms and conditions, click here. This offer also applies to orders made by post.

*This offer runs until the 30th November 2007. Offer excludes bulk purchases and the £50 qualifying spend excludes packaging and postage costs. No alternative/additional photographs accepted. No cash equivalent or refunds on orders placed.

So much Customer love - Fabulous Photo Gifts testimonials

More customer love...

Regular readers will know there's nothing we like better than to receive a note or phone call from a delighted customer when they receive their personalised photo gift in the post.

Whilst it's impossible to include them all on the Fabulous Photo Gifts website, we do like to 'share the love' and post them here on our Blog.

Here's our inboxes more recent additions...

“The t.shirt is of a lovely quality and the little hanging one is really cute!” A.G.
P.S the hanging t-shirt is still in pre-production – we're hoping to have it available for you to buy shortly.

“Hi, I received my puzzle yesterday. I just want to say the reproduction of my photo on the box lid looks brilliant. I think I am going to be very happy and will look forward to assembling the puzzle in my house in Phuket, Thailand where the photo was taken. Thank you so much and am sure I will be using your website again in near future.” S.L.

“Hello Mandy, the mugs and mouse mat have arrived and once again are better than we could imagine. What a brilliant service you offer !” J.T (Spain)

“Hi Mandy, I have received the puzzle this morning. Thank you very much it was very kind of you to send the other puzzle too they will love playing with both. It is a beautiful quality puzzle I am very pleased with it and the fabulous service and your thoughtfulness. Thank you so much.” L.C.

“Just thought you would like to know the tray gift voucher went down so well at the last wedding (I was the first person to ask you for one) that I've bought another one for someone else! Well done on the new inclusion of the gift voucher icon on the website. Its brill.” N.

Thank you all for your kind words and whole-hearted endorsement of the service Fabulous Photo Gifts offers. We really mean it when we say we really want you to be delighted with your photo gift to the point that every single photograph submitted with an order is optimised and adjusted by hand to produce the best results possible.

Fabulous Photo Gifts.