Rebecca Lloyd is a seasoned creative who has honed her skills over many years across a range of industries, including nearly two decades as a sculptor and a prop maker in film and television. With her partner and two pooches by her side, she said goodbye to the big city and relocated to Mangawhai, Northland, to pursue her dream of hand crafting high quality leather goods that exude beauty and functionality.
Through her work as textile artist and eco dyer, Karen Williamson of Nuku finds a spiritual connection to the land and its changing seasons. Using only natural resources, foraged from the local Kaipara landscape, Karen infuses prints of leaves, petals, seeds and bark into natural fibres to create a unique range of scarves, clothing and gifts. The name Nuku comes from te reo Māori, meaning earth. Karen lives in rural Kaiwaka and is building a sustainable lifestyle on a half-acre section with her husband, Luke.
Rob Stanyon of Wooden Kiwi describes himself as a hobby woodworker, but the growing range of wood products springing from his Waihopo workshop suggests he may need a new descriptor! Making surf-themed clocks and handy accessories for the beach and bach from kiln-dried pine, laminated plywood and sustainably sourced timbers…
Carly of Fair & Square makes natural soaps using the traditional cold process technique. She and her husband (with their two children aged 8 months and 2 years) live near Ngunguru (Tutukaka Coast, Northland) on a small lifestyle block where they have built a lovely … Read more »
The art and science of Souly Fibre
An ad in a shop window was the first step in a new creative direction for Colleen Jamieson. In her hilltop cottage in the rural Northland district of Kaipara, she now weaves flax into beautiful kete, household items and traditional clothing, a selection of which can be found in her Felt shop, Souly Fibre.
Lucy of Rawkos Designs is a textile artist known for her vibrant and bold colours and designs, with a strong Aotearoa influence. Her work reflects the strong light and colours of Northland, where she produces her work in a small studio in Parua Bay, Whangarei Heads. She enjoys using native flora, fauna, birds and sea life throughout her designs.
Woodworker and designer Gwyneth Hulse comes from a creative family and has always made things. Her modernist, geometric jewellery and interior decor items have a cohesive, strong design factor and a simple elegance that is as distinctive as the locally-sourced native timbers she uses for her work. As well as showcasing her woodworking skills in her Felt shop…