Amongst friends, Elizabeth Berge has earned the title of “zippy” with her exceptional eye for an interesting zip. She’s better known to the general public as Zippitydoodah and her quirky zip creations have featured at markets and fairs across the country, as well as on TVNZ7’s Hearts in Crafts.
Intricate brush strokes and delightful detail are the hallmark of Auckland artist Lizzie Thomas’ talented hand. Her shop, ellaQuaint, is filled with charming illustrations of birds, woodland creatures (Timorous Beasties), marine life (Aquatic Beasties) and all manner of whimsical imagery.
Craig Lucinsky is a man with a mission: to make a good impression. To that end he started Into the White Press, his Wellington-based letterpress print studio, where he combines industry experience in advertising and design with hands on printing processes to create his clever, unique designs.
Hawke’s Bay’s Coulter & Coulter, otherwise known as Nicola and Peter Coulter, are a family team that work together from their kitchen table producing beautiful hand block printed organic textiles. Over time the business has grown to include more vintage textiles and wool blankets that can be printed and used to produce beautiful items for the home.
From her Wellington home studio looking out over a semi-wild garden, Fireworks jewellery designer Melanie Mills creates beautiful, unique metal pieces inspired by ferns, corokia and other flora of the forest. Characterised by elegant botanical shapes, her designs feature intricate filigree and the stunning combination of sterling silver with copper and brass.
Anita Carter’s grandfather began making eiderdowns in Wellington in the 1940s. 70 years later Anita is following in his footsteps with her home business Eiderdowns by Anita. She still uses her grandad’s original “downmachine” patterns and until recently, even one of his sewing machines!
Creative Aertz showcases the talents of crafter Sonia Foster (née Aerts), who lives and works in a small town in the South Waikato with one husband, two children and a fluffy three legged cat. Her distinctive designs range from brightly coloured hats inspired by sweets and strawberries to more subtle baby knits and sewn soft toys.
Nerissa Cassidy’s crafty inclinations took on new proportions with the arrival of her children. Working from home whilst caring for two boys under the age of 4, her range of cute and colourful designs have evolved from cuddly creatures originally made as Christmas gifts for her family into the thriving mini-enterprise of Mushymoo.
From her home in Oxford, fine artist Celia Wilson is capturing the colours of Canterbury in way that could not be more down to earth. She creates paint using pigments she gathers from the local landscape, both as a craft process in its own right and also as a part of her own art practice.
Ceramicist Kaye Bustin lives and works from her home in Waikanae Beach, Wellington, creating mini artworks inspired by the intricacies of seedpods and sea shells. Her simple designs draw on her experiences living in India and reflect a fascination with tiny treasures collected from New Zealand beaches and native bush.