A Taranaki woman’s home business is humming along nicely, and she’s hoping her stall at a popular fete this weekend will increase her customer base even more.

Nicole Lister has booked a stall at the Taranaki Diocesan School Under the Mountain Arts and Crafts Fete for the first time, and says her home has been a hive of activity in recent weeks as she’s been creating plenty of products to sell on the day.

“I have a regular stall at the Prospero Market in Stratford each month, and have started looking at doing more markets and gala days over the next few months. I know the market at Dio gets lots of people coming through, it’s a really popular event, so I have been really busy making sure I have enough things for my stall.”

Her business, Hummingbird Designs, sells a range of personalised items along with 3D-printed models.

“I can personalise T-shirts, key chains, drink bottles, plus anything which can be 3D-printed, I can make, and I can also make a wide range of things out of vinyl. I also make and sell cake toppers, earrings, printed mugs and framed 3D paper art.”

Nicole looks for ideas everywhere, she says, and then works out how she can put her own twist on things.

“Some things come out of a need. One of the items I have started making is a fold-away coffee cup holder for your takeaway coffees. It’s really neat because you can fold it up when it’s not in use and keep it in your car, then it’s ready to use when you need it. I also have been making phone pops a lot recently, and wind spinners are getting popular as well for people to have in their gardens.”

As a mum of four children, Nicole says she likes to keep things affordable, with a range of “pocket money”-priced smaller items always popular with younger visitors to the markets.

“I make little fidget toys, and some small mythical creatures like dragons and baby wyverns. They are 3Dprinted in a range of colours, then I hand-paint the eyes and other details on them. Kids really like them because they are jointed, so they actually move. My prices start at $1 for a bookmark, then the baby wyverns are $3. I know from my own experience how much money you can spend when you walk around a busy market and your kids want all the different things they see, so I like to make sure there are items displayed at child height that aren’t going to be too expensive for them.”

Nicole also has some Wednesday Addams-inspired designs and some Alice in Wonderland ones for this market as well, she says.

“I like making the fun stuff. While the bookmarks, mugs, keyrings and other things are useful, I try to make sure a lot of my stock is purely for fun. Not everything has to have a purpose in your home – some things can be there just because you like them, or they appeal to you in some way.”

Nicole, who lives in Stratford, started her business just over a year ago after realising the items she was making for herself and for friends would be popular with others too.

“The name for the business came from the fact I really like hummingbirds. I remember learning about how fast their wings beat, which is what creates that humming noise, and well, as a mum, I could relate to it. That always-busy feeling, with the way something beautiful comes out of that being so busy.”

The Details:

What: Nicole will be at the Taranaki Diocesan School Under the Mountain Arts and Crafts Fete

When: October 21, 10am — 3pm

Where: Taranaki Diocesan School, Pembroke Road

Details: Gold coin entry. Find Nicole’s business on Facebook under Hummingbird Designs