08 September 2011

A Conversation with Vicki of PetitBebeCreationNZ


Vicki of PetitBebeCreatioNZ makes the most gorgeous items for little ones - layer cake skirts, skinny pants for kids (Slim Jims and Skinny Minnys ranges), chic nappy clutches, bibs and who can go past the very cool 'Pimp my Pooch' range (example above).  Lets learn more about Vicki's inspirations and influences...

Who is Vicki Stoner aka PetitBebeCreatioNZ?
Tag line: Handmade boutique items for your little darlings. I am a SAHM based in Auckland, NZ of 2 beautiful children who inspire me to create boutique items for little people.

What’s your “handmade groove ?”
I love creating beautiful fabric combinations in simple styles that can be worn across many age groups. My favourite “invention” is the adjustable snapped waist elastic I include in every skirt or pair of trousers. I also like to tinker with existing proven patterns and see what I can make that reflects my own style.

What’s on your bedside table right now? (hey, no tidying up or censoring)
Littlies magazine, Toddler Taming book, a purse sized version of my b/w damask clutch in which I keep all my ‘bright ideas’, my reading glasses, my clock radio and the cradle for the baby monitor.

Who are your creative role models? What music, books, images, poetry spark your creative fire?
My Mum and Dad, my Aunty Lorrie, and my fellow blog-land friends. I do love mainstream pop music, love to read ‘self help’ books on raising kids, not really a poetry gal but get excited when I see fresh fabrics and just can’t wait to get sewing. I am addicted to fabric shopping.

What could you talk late into the night about with like minded people?
Anything really, I have the gift of the gab. Right now my main interests are around little people in general, fabrics and sewing techniques.

If you could go to three free workshops/creative events this year which ones would they be? What are they about?
I’d love to go to Craft 2.0 in Wellington. Craft 2.0 is a cult Wellington craft fair for style junkies, craft enthusiasts and all fans of handmade. Being in Auckland with 2 small children (plus my fledgling new venture) means that isn’t possible right now but some day I’ll make it down.

I have been taking some free e-courses by Handmadeology (http://www.handmadeology.com/free-etsy-success-tools-and-ecourses/) which have proved very helpful and I believe as a result I am seeing more sales and greater market reach. I plan to continue this e-learning journey as there is plenty more left to learn through this website. I did go ahead and purchase their Social Media Package (approx $25 NZD) which contains a couple of tracking spreadsheets and e-books on tips and tricks etc which again I have found invaluable.

I’d love to be able to attend Handmade 2012 for the “remade” workshop on up-cycling (although this is isn’t free at $45 for the workshop). I love to recycle and what better way than get creative doing it. I recently made my daughter a brooch out of scraps from a skirt I made her and added some beads to the centre from her Nanny’s necklace my son accidentally broke at Christmas. I felt pleased to give the beads a new purpose rather than a life in landfill.

How do you balance your creative life with your family, life commitments?
Terribly – am operating on such little sleep at the moment. I plan to plan better and get to bed at a reasonable time in the near future. I figure it is just this hard right now as my business is so new (just like a newborn baby) – sleep deprivation is just part of the journey. I do have my 22 month old at daycare 2 half days a week which is fab as I can get my “home duties” done.

What is your favourite creative screw-up?
My extra wide clutch came about when I accidentally used the measurements of the standard clutch for the height and the MCN clutch for the width. It turned out that the extra wide is quite popular. It holds a travel wipes case, 2 - 3 disposables AND has room for the nappy cream. I had a few ladies comment at my last market how brilliant it was to find a nappy clutch that can take the nappy cream. I sold a few that day :)

Kitchen table or studio?
Laundry door actually (photo attached). I needed somewhere to sew which is kid free so that is really only our bedroom and to get a desk large enough to work on proved an expensive idea so the laundry door has been repurposed into my sewing desk and I absolutely love it. I do however, spend a amount of time sat at the kitchen table using the computer to build my business profile online.

Do you have a wish list?
Can you tell us what’s on it? Proper storage for all my beautiful fabrics – currently have everything stored in large lidded plastic bins which are not easy to see into to know what is there and proper lights so that I can see what I am doing in the evenings. I presently have 2 desk lamps positioned over my machines and the light they throw out is not great.  




You can visit PetitBebeCreatioNZs shop ... here
Find out latest happenings on the blog ... here
and Follow on Facebook .. here

2 comments:

We love hearing what you have to say, please feel welcome to leave your comments...