Crazy Bird Designs
Your hometown and your favourite things about it?
Christchurch, NZ is my hometown. A beautiful coastal city where we are able to access beaches and hill walks, fantastic biking tracks or nip inland to hike or ski in the mountains. We are undergoing a massive transformation as a city and as people really after devastating earthquakes destroyed much of the CBD and thousands of homes. The face of the city is unrecognisable and is now a city that holds many wonderful memories of great people and places where we lived and played. My favourite things about Christchurch have changed since the earthquakes. There is a sense of continual change here now, new shops and cafes, brand new buildings and park areas are beginning to spring up. We’re a supportive friendly community, maybe more so now, which is always great to be around.
Favourite type of food?
Oh this is hard because I LOVE food! I guess I’ll pick Vietnamese. I love all those fresh flavours. Anything spicy too!
Favourite restaurant?
We’ve lost many of my favourite ones, but there are so many new ones popping up it’s a good excuse to go out and sample them all! I would have to say though that the best ever feast I’ve had was crawfish in a dilapidated old place in the French Quarter of New Orleans!
Favourite recipe?
We’re just coming out of Winter here so it’s a hot lemon, apple pudding. Yum!
Favourite market?
The Shabby Chic market to visit on the 1st Sunday of every month and The Craft Collective Markets which happen quarterly, to sell my creations at. One of the really cool things about the new emerging Christchurch is the market scene. More and more markets are appearing; is it because people are becoming more aware of supporting quality hand made goods instead of the massed produced item or is it simply they don’t want to shop in big closed in spaces?!
Favourite travel destination?
I love places steeped in history, or where I can experience a completely different culture.
Dream travel destination?
At the moment, South America.
What do you enjoy most about making your products? Where do you draw your inspiration from?
I love sharing something I’ve really enjoyed making and seeing it going off to be enjoyed by someone else. The actual physical action of making something feels so good. There is so much that inspires me; flora and fauna- their natural colours and shapes, vintage textiles and images- especially old botanical art. I’m a horrendous hoarder and am constantly combing beaches and woods for interesting shapes and colours.
How long does it take to make one of your creations?
There are a number of different elements to many of my pieces. First I have to select the timber from the salvage yard. It’s a sobering process as there are mountains and mountains of materials that have come from the many homes and buildings that were destroyed by the quakes. A lot of the wood I use is well over 100 years old. The wood is then planed and cut to size and shape. I have many different collections, each inspired by something different. Some use vintage silk and velvet, old retro wallpaper or storybook images or photographs of broken china. With some pieces I sketch with a hot wire so that the likeness of birds, butterflies and beetles are etched into the timber. The artwork is then set on the wood and sealed with a non-toxic resin to protect it. I find the process of making something very therapeutic, I tend to go off into lala land!
In your words, what makes your products unique?
One of the things that is really important is where my materials have come from. Recycling and re-using materials as much as possible is central to my designs.
