75866-31IT MAY not be selling ice to the eskimos but Sarah Benning's handmade American-style crafts and toys are attracting interest from across the Atlantic.

Sarah makes her goods in her garage in Abbey Meads, and her business The Blueberry Patch was established three years ago.

While on maternity leave with her second child Sarah was made redundant from a car leasing company in July 2002 after working there for eight years.

A few part-time evening jobs followed, but with two young children now four and two they were impractical.

Sarah, 34, said: "Then I visited a shop that sold everything I liked, which was primarily American-style crafts. The company wanted people in the UK to put into practice their ideas, and also come up with ideas, which I did."

By October that year Sarah decided to strike out on her own, and using the garage as a workshop and the spare bedroom as an office and craft area, The Blueberry Patch was born.

Now, with her husband Kristian helping to keep the website (www.theblueberrypatch.co.uk) up to date, there are orders coming from across the world.

Among the items on sale of which 99 per cent are made by Sarah are fabric stars, rusty stars, dolls, wooden signs, pot pourri, cushions, kitchen decor and candles.