People

Craft On!

Pops of flamingo pink, blue ocean hues and crisp whites set the backdrop for TV personality and DIY “Queen Of Craft” Amber Kemp-Gerstel’s trés chic blog Damask Love, where craft is always in session.
Text by Estrellita S. Sibila Bio Photo by Andrew Kemp-Gerstel | May 15, 2018 | People

Some people are fortunate enough to find that ultimate sweet spot where their personal passions perfectly intersect with a prosperous and paying gig. Deep in love with crafting and card-making, Amber Kemp-Gerstel launched Damask Love in 2011 as a place where she can share her fun, accessible, doable and relatable projects with people from across the globe. Never did she imagine what the future had in store.
Fast-forward 5 years and she’s crafted her way to being one of the most recognized DIY influencers on the scene and regularly appears on national TV sharing her love of craft. Brands are increasingly collaborating with bloggers and influencers who produce unique and creative content and Amber is top-of-mind for brands that want a refreshing twist. “As audiences move to social media and online outlets for their information, bloggers and influencers like me become a more valuable resource,” she says. “I bring my personal aesthetic to their brand in a new way, thus piquing the interest and attention of new viewers.” As such, Amber has worked with brands like The Home Depot, Martha Stewart Living, Cotton and a whole list of craft-loving clients. Her audience follows her from her blog and social channels to the Home Shopping Network where they can see her share her favorite tools and tricks of the trade.
Recently, when Home & Family, a morning lifestyle program on The Hallmark Channel, launched a contest looking for their inaugural DIY Star, Amber threw her name in and eventually beat out a pool of more than 300 DIY’ers to win the entire contest. “When surrounded by that level of talent, it quickly became evident that I could do only one thing in hopes of winning: I had to be 100% myself,” she says. “When the cameras turned on, I was the same loud, silly, mildly witty, sometimes introspective, mostly goofy me. I was comfortable in front of the cameras and jived really well with the other cast members. I brought my ‘A-game’ to each of my segments and offered valuable projects and tips that I knew would resonate with the audience.”
Since then, she’s been a monthly DIY guest on the show and increased her fanbase, reach and influence accordingly. With the combination of her creative mind, dexterous hands and joyous personality, there’s no limit to what she can come up with next; DamaskLove.com.