With a liking towards handwork from her younger days, Menaka Amerasinghe had always wanted to put her creativity to good use. What resulted was her venturing into making birthday cards and subsequently trying her hand at making wedding invitation cards. This was how FairyHopes.lk came into being. Six years later, Amarasinghe has created a market for laser cut wedding invitations made out of wood and board materials. 

“I’m from Galle but right now I’m working as a technical officer at the Sri Jayawardenapura University Medical Faculty,” she said in an interview with Daily Mirror Life. “This was entirely a self-learning process as I don’t have any professional training. But I used to refer to videos on the Internet and create my own designs. I get many orders and requests online and I usually discuss design ideas with clients. Sometimes the brides want to match the invitation cards with their bridal outfits. Apart from invitation cards I also make cake boxes as well.”

She has a team to assist her as she balances her work life with her passion. FairyHopes.lk outlets are serving clients in Galle as well as in Colombo. However, with the ongoing pandemic, many self-employed individuals such as Menaka are facing challenges. “There’s a huge competition in the market and we need to have unique designs if we are to survive. I like to extend my gratitude to my parents for being constant pillars of strength without whom none of this would have been a success.”