Builder Bob fixes it for artist Wendy

Wendy, a talented artist, has just set up kids art company Daisy Doodle which she hopes will capture the hearts of parents and children in the same way as Keith's Bob the Builder, Fifi and the Flowertots and Roary the Racing car creations.

Keith dreamed up the hugely popular kids shows and certainly knows a winning formula when he sees one. He's now lent his backing to Wendy's fledgling project and is backing her all the way to the top.

Wendy, 48, has spent the past few months putting the finishing touches to her Daisy Doodle company and is now ready to launch her artwork in the busy run-up to Christmas.

Mum-of-one Wendy has painted 20 colourful characters at her home in Dore, Sheffield, and from these parents can begin to create their own double mounted personalised work of art.

Once a central character has been selected customers choose a frame, a corner motif and add a name and a birth date.

The main canvases are printed but the additional, personalised artwork is lovingly carried out at Wendy's home studio.

"I've got a background in greeting card design and have worked for all the major card companies," explained Wendy, who became friends with Keith and wife Kirsty while studying in Nottingham 30 year ago.

"We all moved to London together but I came back to Sheffield eventually because I wanted to buy a house and get a dog! I settled down, got married and worked for Carlton, Simon Elvin, Hallmark and Camden Graphics.

"I used to love doing the artwork for children's cards but I found that my floral designs were increasingly being used for bereavement cards and 80th birthdays."

When Wendy gave birth to daughter Daisy six years ago she quit her freelance job and concentrated on being a full time mum.

"I wanted to keep up my painting though and started doing prints for the house. Friends saw them and liked them and then I started supplying interiors shops and galleries.

"I used to do it a couple of days a week and then I came up with a few creations for Daisy's bedroom.

"One of our former neighbours ran his own company and one day I just dragged him in and showed him the canvases. I asked him 'will this work as a business idea?'

"Before I knew it I'd teamed up with Business Link and secured funding towards marketing and the Daisy Doodle website www.daisy-doodle.co.uk"

Wendy has printed thousands of promotional brochures showing how her creations can be brought to life. She recruited her neighbours' toddlers as models and brought dozens of canvases to life for children in Daisy's class at Dore Primary School.

"I needed lots of children to pose in my brochure and lots of examples of my work. So I made them each their own canvas to be pictured with.”

Canvases comes in two sizes, costing from 49.95, and each comes with its own story.

“I wrote nine out of the 20 stories,” added Wendy, sitting beneath one of her beautiful fushia-pink floral canvases at the family home in Ashfurlong Park, Dore.

“The others were written by friends who have a real passion for creative writing.

“Daisy always refers to the creatures by their character names such as Foxglove the Fairy so that’s what inspired me to create a story to accompany them.”

Although Wendy’s artwork will most likely appeal to younger children, she’s not forgotten about older kids.

Older children are able to email or send their own masterpiece and see it scanned onto canvas. Wendy supplies finishing touches on the backing canvas, either a child’s name, birthday or age when they painted the picture.

Wendy’s daughter used the technique to create a vibrant butterfly and flower design for Keith and Kirsty Chapman and presented it when they stayed at their home in south west London last month.

“Keith loved it and he’s also ordered a couple of Daisy Doodle canvases for relatives. He’s a wonderful friend and has been incredibly supportive. I’m lucky to have a friend who has been able to help me expand my ideas and broaden my thinking.”