We've taken quite a shine to NZFINCH! - so much talent it's not even funny and the nicest people you could quite possible meet. We thought we'd do a little Q and A to shed some light on what makes NZFINCH tick and introduce you to one of our favourite stalls.

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF?

I've loved art and craft for as long as I can remember. I really enjoy painting and sketching and after high school went to Uni to do a Bachelor of Visual Arts. NZFINCH began about 2 years ago. In October last year I decided to do it full time and it's been pretty rad.

WHERE DOES YOUR INSPIRATION COME FROM?

I get a lot of my inspiration from my local surroundings, I love living by the beach and anything to do with the ocean. I spend loads of time looking through op-shops for floral and retro fabrics and blankets. Sites like ETSY and Pinterest are great too, and I've got a few favorite blogs that always help to get the creative juices flowing.
 

WHEN DID YOU KNOW YOU WERE AN ARTIST / MAKER?

I think I've always known, I can remember as early as primary school really enjoying sketching and painting. I'd have competitions with my friend to see who could draw better. I'm not sure where the craft came from but I'm sure it's just in the genes. My Mum is a quilter and my Dad restores old motorbikes, and has always been into woodworking (his father was also a carpenter)

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?

For me it's a very visual process, to perfect a design or project I probaby make half a dozen versions of the product before I'm happy with the final design. I've got a stash of shitty wallets and hideous cushion covers that were complete fails! I can never seem to let go of them much to Phils annoyance (hoarding comes with the territory) but I always end up using the materials again in some other project.

IF YOU COULD PEEK INSIDE THE STUDIO OF ANY ARTIST, DESIGNER OR CRAFTSMAN (DEAD OR ALIVE), WHO WOULD IT BE?

I'm pretty ridiculously passionate about what I do and I get just as excited when I see other people doing cool stuff. Quite honestly I'd love to peek into anyones studio space. But if I have to choose one! I'm going to go with Jackson Pollock. I'd love to see him paint!

WHAT HANDMADE POSSESSION DO YOU MOST CHERISH?

I'm hugely sentimental so everything is pretty cherished, but the one that comes to mind first is a quilt my mother made me for my 18th birthday. 3 years ago someone broke into our flat and stole a bunch of stuff, as well as the quilt, which we think they used to wrap up the TV in. I'll admit I cried about it :) but she's working on another one now which is nearly finished and I can't wait!

do you ever get into any creative ruts and if so how do you get out of them?

Oh man, all the time! I've got a good range of products at the moment which is selling well, but I'm such a fan of experimenting and making one-offs. So when I'm totally over making wallets and bags I usually browse through some blogs, pinterest and ETSY. It helps me get a new perspective and think about different ways to re-use materials.