Please tell us who you are & what you do?
My name is Sonia Foster (nee Aerts), I am a stay at home mum with two children under 5. I love creating quirky and gorgeous items using my knitting and sewing skills.
How did you get started? Have you worked in other creative areas before the kind of work you’re doing now?
When I had my son I developed Post Natal Depression. As an outlet, and for something especially for me, I picked up my knitting needles, which I hadn't done for years, and started knitting and haven't stopped and so Creative Aertz was born!
Is there a story behind the name of your shop? My maiden name was Aerts and wanted to incorporate that into a business name so how. As I also have a typing business using the same name I decided to change the "s" at the end of Aerts to a "z" so it didn't look like I had made a typo with the "e" in our name. A typo wouldn't have been a good look to my typing business:-)
How long have you been creating for?
Since I was really little (learnt my skills from my precious Mum). I always designed and knitted my own funky jerseys and made all my dolls clothes.
Is your business a hobby, a profession or a happy marriage of both?
It is a happy marriage of both.
Describe your work setting.
The whole house is my work setting. I have an allocated area in the garage but it is too cold in winter and very lonely so everything tends to gravitate to the dining room table.
Do you work alone? With a team? Do you engage your family or friends in the work? What is your process? How do you ensure you get your work done yet still have a life?
I work alone. My brain is constantly being filled with images of wonderful new things but my needles won't go fast enough to make everything I want to. To ensure I get my work done I knit a few rows at a time through the day and then do most of the work at night while watching my favourite tele programmes.
Why do you do what you do? What inspires you? When do you get most excited?
I have so many ideas in my head and love to create new things and it can be very relaxing. Everything inspires me from an acorn on the ground to licorice allsorts (check out my hats). I get most excited when I make a sale and I check my e-mail all day long to see if I have any orders - sad but true!
Can you remember your first sale? What was it?
My first sale was to our local pharmacy who purchased some of my pillowcase wheatie bags and I was so thrilled I skipped out of the shop.
Have you ever been in business before?
Nope.
At what point do you consider yourself successful?
I consider myself successful when everyone in my family is happy, including me. It is neat to have some pocket money to use for some fun with the kids to create lasting memories for us all.
Where do you do your best thinking?
I do my best thinking in the evenings when I am knitting.
What stops you from giving up when you are frustrated?
The satisfaction I know I will get when I have finished something and when the customer loves their handmade product.
If you had time to learn a new skill what would it be?
When you are not involved in your craft/business- what can you usually be found doing
I am usually doing my housework or playing with the kids.
Do you have a favourite handmade purchase?
I love the green pinafore that I purchased for my daughter from Somerton (on LKN too). She wears it heaps!
Do you buy on impulse or do you go out looking for something you need?
It depends on what mood I am in.
FAST FIVE ...
1. What is the last thing that made you belly laugh? When I found a trail of knitting wool all around the lounge and then finding my 1 1/2 year old daughter trying to fight her way out of the web of wool she had found herself in. It wasn't very funny when I realised I had to roll each ball up and unknot everything:-)
2. What was the last cd/ipod track etc that you listened to? Taylor Swift CD.
3. Where do you hide your secret stash of chocolate? Now that would be telling and its all MINE!
4. Who controls the remote in your house? Definitely ME.
5. What was your cheapest holiday? Staying in a luxury 3 storey house at Mount Maunganui for free.
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PROMOTION TIME!!!
If Creative Aertz's cute beanies aren't enticement enough to go shopping, how about this ...
For the month of July take 10% off everything instore!
