Going potty for awards

A BUSINESSWOMAN and her small ceramic studio have been catapulted into the finals of a regional contest.

Pam McNickle, of Crumbles Ceramic Studio, is a finalist in the Westpac Manukau Business Excellence Awards.

The 34-year-old is in the running for young business person of the year, while her studio in Howick has made the excellence in emerging business category.

"I'd been to the awards before so I knew what they were about," says Pam. "I thought ‘why not'".

Click here to read the full article ...

New superstars of Manukau business revealed

Westpac Manukau Business Excellence Awards finalists announced.

Some of Manukau’s best-known businesses rubbed shoulders with high-calibre small and medium businesses at Villa Maria Estate Winery this week. What these companies have in common is that they have all been announced as finalists in the Westpac Manukau Business Excellence Awards, the biggest and most prestigious business awards programmes in the country.

Ian Blair, General Manager of Business Banking at Westpac, major sponsor of the Awards, thanks all the businesses that entered this year.

"Westpac congratulates all the finalists, and we recognise that the process of applying and being judged takes some time. I congratulate you for seeing the value in standing up and being counted alongside your peers."

Click here to read the full article ...

A home less ordinary

Head into your average home-ware store and what do you see? Row upon row of virtually identical plates, mugs and bowls. Flawlessly made, homogenous and unmistakably impersonal.

While the perfectionist in you may nod in appreciation, “white is chic, isn’t it?”, where’s the individuality or creativity? “Your” favourite vase is on countless other tabletops across the country, and you’re drinking out of a coffee cup that’s sipped out of by strangers, many miles away.

Putting your personality and a personal touch into your abode is easier than you’d think. With hand-painted ceramics, you can decorate your home and garden just as you’d like it, with pottery that you’ve painted, in a style that you have chosen.

You may fancy a crazy, psychedelic-coloured angel fish or a vibrant turquoise pukeko, painted by your own fair hands, for your home or garden. You could also furnish your home with life’s little treasures. Why not immortalise a tiny painted footprint of your new baby, or a smudged paw-print of your family’s pampered pooch?

Ceramic painting is easy to do, reasonably economical and useful. If you’re a perfectionist, it can take some getting used to, but once you leave that unhelpful quality at the door, you’ll discover a relaxing outlet for your creativity that brings out the artist (accomplished or otherwise) in all of us.

Howick mum-of-three Pam McNickle knows this first-hand, having transformed the hobby into a fully fledged business.  After falling in love with ceramic painting while on a family holiday in Nelson, Pam pursued her passion and went on to set up Crumbles Ceramic Studio in 2005.

Click here to read the full article ...

Crumbles fires feast plates for Kids Can charity

Crumbles, a paint-your-own-pottery studio located in Botany has just completed firing 10 dinner plates painted by top NZ chefs that were auctioned at the Feast by Famous Chefs dinner organised by the Restaurant Association. It was a glamorous industry social event, which co-incided with HospitalityNZ. Held at the Langham Hotel on Sunday 31st August.

Pam McNickle of Crumbles Ceramic studio provided the plates, brushes and glazing and firing of each plate, for the NZ chefs to paint their vision of ‘Feast’ onto the plates. It’s not the first time that Mrs McNickle has been involved with plates for auction. “The plates have been painted exceptionally well and there are some gorgeous plates, no wonder they fetched a high price on the evening.” She says.

Helen Sneyd from the Restaurant Association loved the plates and is excited that they were able to donate the $6000 raised by the plates to such a great organisation - “Kidscan” (the charity that feeds children at school).

Crumbles – Dishing up celebrities for a super cause

"COLOURFUL ceramics hand-painted by Kiwi and international celebrities will go under the auction hammer in July.

Nearly a dozen celebrities including the Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Kiwi musician Chris Knox have painted a plate to raise funds for the Phobic Trust.

Pam McNickle of Howick ceramic studio Crumbles provided the blank plates for the celebrities and says their lively doodles are rare items that should attract a good auction price."
read more