WHEN Saima Anwar bought a packet of crystals off the internet to stick onto her mobile phone last year, little did she realise her new-found hobby would change her life.

Within months the former Blackburn College fashion student was running a successful company, www.crystal-iced.com, customising mobile phones, BlackBerry personal organisers, and iPods with Swarovski crystals for customers across the UK.

Last month Saima’s was commissioned to make 13 blinging BlackBerrys for the new reality TV show, Paris Hilton’s British Best Friend, due to be screened on ITV2 in the new year.

“When I heard the message from the woman from ITV saying they wanted 13 Blackberrys blinged for Paris Hilton’s new show I couldn’t stop screaming,” said Saima, 23, who lives in Whalley New Road with her parents and brother.

“She said they wanted 12 for the contestants and one for Paris with a P on the back. They’re silver with pink crystals around the screen.

“They wanted them done really quickly, in four days, but I got my sister Sadia to help me – we’ve never worked so hard!”

Although Saima’s parents were delighted for her, they struggled to understand who the all-American IT girl was.

“I spent ages trying to explain to them but I still don't think they understand why she’s famous,” said Saima. “My friends were really excited though. They were all screaming and saying ‘I can't believe something so amazing has happened!’.”

Saima was over the moon when the paparazzi snapped Paris with the BlackBerry on the first day of filming the new show, with pictures appearing in the tabloids.

“My friend called me up to say she’d seen a picture of Paris with the BlackBerry I’d made. The photographer zoomed in on her hand and got a good shot of the phone – I couldn’t believe it!”

Saima hopes more celebrities will buy her products and singer Duffy’s people have shown an interest.

But the star she’d most like to design a phone for is X Factor judge and Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Cole.

“I’d do something pink and sparkly for her, or anything she liked,” she said.

Saima designs and makes the phones from her parents’ spare room. Each crystal is stuck on by hand using a toothpick-like tool with an average-sized phone taking two days.

Saima has roped the family into helping the business. Her sister help swhen she gets busy and her brother helps her design and build the website.

“I love designing and making the phones, but the business side is hard,” said Saima. “My hobby has grown into a full-time business and I’ve had to write business plans and cash flow forecasts – my head hurts just talking about it!”

Her next step is to open a boutique in around three weeks next door to her home in Whalley New Road. Her full range now includes clothing, car accessories, riding helmets, champagne glasses, microphones and musical instruments. Saima said: “My goal is to have products in high-end shops all over the UK... and to buy a nice sporty BMW!”

Prices for Saima’s phones start at £150. Visit www.crystal-iced.com.