Sisters have become business partners by opening their own artisan gift shop in the town centre.

Zena and Sonia Gardner cut the ribbon on their joint venture, The Octopus Garden, in Sittingbourne high street and gave free cakes to visitors.

The siblings, who were both born and grew up in the town, have been creating gifts and various other products by hand for seven years.

When not busy with crafts, Zena has been carrying out voluntary work for charity music festivals and Sonia has previously done office work.

But with a growing stash of handmade items, they decided to start their own gift shop and took on a unit that had been empty for two years. Sonia, 30, said Zena, 39, was the driving force behind the idea and came up with the name.

“The Octopus Garden doesn’t give away what the shop’s about. When people hear it, we want them to think ‘I wonder what that’s all about’.

“A lot of people have said it’s nice to see something different in the high street. If you have the product and the quality people will venture down this end.”

The sisters started off with fabric wall hangings and then moved on to have a go at something new. “We have just been doing it for a long time and we have built up a really wide range of things that we can make,” Sonia said.

“I have been doing dressmaking since I first started making dresses for my Barbie.”

“I have been doing dressmaking since I first started making dresses for my Barbie.” - Sonia Gardner

Among the handmade products stocked at the shop is mala jewellery, decorative plates and
tableware, three-dimensional
art, runes and clothing accessories.

The Gardners hope to provide a platform for other craftsmen and women in the area by renting out shelf space in the shop.

They also offer a seamstress service, doing alterations for clothing, curtains and cushions.

Sonia said they are most looking forward to providing custom-made goods via the shop’s made-to-order gift service.

She said: “We love it when people come in and say, ‘I would like a particular gift. Is this something you can make?’