Tell us about yourself first Rachael – what do you do for work, and for fun?
I’m lucky enough that my passion has become my work, my days are filled with blog posts, wedding cakes, baking classes and networking with some of the most wonderfully talented people in the business.

My days off are spent with my husband and puppy, catching up with our amazing friends over a delicious brunch or simply pottering in the garden!

The beautiful Made From Scratch blog, and blogger Rachael McMahon

How did you come to start the Made From Scratch blog and how has it changed since then?
I found out about blogs while we were traveling through America, when we got home I started planning our wedding and baking again after being out of the kitchen for two years.

Ben said that it would be fun for me to blog about our upcoming wedding and share the recipes that I make – by the time I’d finished making dinner one night he had designed and built Made From Scratch for me.

After posting everyday for about a year my gorgeous sister in law rebranded Made From Scratch to what it is today, it’s since grown into a daily lifestyle blog while I do baking classes and wedding cakes on the side – something I could never ever have imagined possible.

Always baking. I want to live at Rachael’s house!

Rachael teaching at one of her very popular home baking classes.

Who inspires you?  
My husband, family and friends – without them none of this would be possible, their support has been beyond amazing. I get inspired by lost of different things, it could be as simple as brunch with a friend, wandering through the hardware shop or admiring other beautiful blogs.

Tell us something we wouldn’t guess about you.
I used to do triathlons and long distant running while at high school – it feels like another life now.

What are some of your favourite blogs that you think we should go and visit?
I’m a huge fan of Adore, The Velvet Doe, What Katie Ate and The Big Day. They’re all so gorgeous and I always find something new and inspiring.

Just some of the recipes and ideas you’ll find on Made From Scratch.

Whats the best thing about being a blogger? What are the challenges?
The connections and friends that you make, they’re incredible. As well as being able to share work that inspires others, I’ll never be able to get used to knowing that so many people enjoy my work, it’s beyond an honour.  Being your own boss is hard at times, as you don’t have anyone to answer to but yourself if something goes wrong.

Like everyone, finding a nice balance between work and life is always tricky – especially when your life is your work. I adore what I do, so the challenges don’t seem too hard to deal with.

YUM!!

Finally, do you have any tips for start-up bloggers to get them over the global average 3 month lifespan?
Stick at it, even if you’re not getting a large readership to start with, someone somewhere will be following your blog and will absolutely adore it. Above all love what you do, if you’re genuine people will admire you for it.

For sweet styling, baking, weddings and more,
visit the Made From Scratch blog, or join Made From Scratch on Facebook.

The post Fave Blogger Interviews: Rachael from Made From Scratch appeared first on NZ Art Prints & Originals Curated in New Zealand | endemicworld.com NZ ART blog.

A daily dose of design and creativity from Studio Home

Tell us about yourself first – what do you do for work and for fun?
Hi! Aside from many things like skiing, water skiing, watching movies, wines with friends and adventuring I really really like to blog about clever creative kiwis and aussies on my site, Studio Home.

How did you come to start Studio Home and how has it changed since then?
Studio Home was originally the name of my interior design “business” (use that term loosely as businesses are meant to earn money!) that I  set up in 2007.  I discovered the world of design blogs very early in 2008 and immediately felt that I had something to contribute with a desktop overflowing with bookmarks of cool NZ and Australian products I hoped to use.  It also felt like a great way to channel traffic and potential work back to my biz….which  happened only a little…but I became completely addicted and dedicated to the damn thing!

The content hasn’t changed at all as I started with a very narrow focus which I surprisingly stick too ( I am not good at sticking to other things…like mountain biking, Zumba etc) In 2010 I was almost about to chuck the whole thing in as I had picked up a full time job in marketing at a ski area and was hopeless with my time management. But for some reason I couldn’t quit the addiction so I got my friend Mickey to redesign the site on a wordpress platform and I got tough with myself to write and schedule 2-3 posts daily (Mon-Fri). That wavers sometimes when real life gets in the way, but my personal favourite blogs post regularly and I LOVE that – so feel very motivated to match the expectations of my readers.

Julia Atkinson, alongside a vignette from her home.

Who or what inspires you?
Every single creative person, business and endeavour I post about! I only ever post what I truly personally love and get a kick out of!

The bloggers that I follow and religiously read every morning and the three smart and savvy headmistresses of The Blogcademy I recently attended in New York.

What’s been the biggest highlight of the Studio Home journey so far?
My recent trip to New York. Thanks to my very clever friend John Jo Ritson I won the scholarship spot to attend a two day course in NYC called The Blogcademy headed up by mega online babes; Gala Darling, Kat Williams and Shauna Haiger. The trip suddenly kicked me into gear and I arranged a series of interviews with creative kiwis and aussies doing their thing and called itFly the Coop: NYC. I was then super privileged to have three NZ brands; Citta Design, endemicworld and Triumph & Disaster partner with me to help this happen. So between the course and the week spent exploring the guts and ambition of others, I arrived back home with some kind of blog ADD. My laptop is smoking!!

Snaps from Julia’s recent trip to New York

What’s your dream for Studio Home?
My absolute dream is for Studio Home to become a household name in relation to Down Under daily inspiration for readers and a place that creatives strive to be part of. I also have plans in motion for it to leap out of the interweb and start being more than just a blog. So many plans, so many!

Tell us something we wouldn’t guess about you…
I am uncontrollably messy. Keeping a tidy bedroom or desk is like asking me to swim Cook Strait. Seemingly impossible.

What are some of your favourite design and style blogs that we should go and visit?
Design Love Fest
Cup of Jo
A Merry Mishap
Miss Moss
Gala Darling
Nubby Twiglet
Love and Ginger

Head on over to Studio Home for some ‘down under’ creative talent…

The post Fave Blogger Interviews: Julia from Studio Home appeared first on NZ Art Prints & Originals Curated in New Zealand | endemicworld.com NZ ART blog.

First up is Alana Broadhead, the curator of one of our favourite design blogs, Fancy. We’ll let the blog describe itself to you: Awesome design from New Zealand. And around the world. But mainly New Zealand. 

We’ve been reading Fancy for a couple of years now. When did you start blogging?
Fancy’s been going for about 2.5 years. I’ve just checked now, and I’ve done 990 posts!

One of our must-reads every week, Fancy! NZ Design Blog

At what point did you go ‘ah, my blog is popular, people are watching it’. Did it make you change your style?

Good old Google Analytics let me know when I had more readers than just my mum. (Hi, mum!) Yeah, I guess my style has changed a little. I used to swear a lot more when I got excited about something, but someone commented that they thought my swearing was lazy. I hate the thought of being lazy, so I went for a power-walk in my shape ups, then decided to minimise my filthy curse words in future. Aside from that, I try my best not to be anything but who I am. Perhaps there is an expectation that my blog should be filled with clever and creative prose because I am a copywriter in real life… but I write and concept all day long, so Fancy is my chance to just enjoy the visual side. Seems to work.

Whats the best thing about being a blogger? Whats the suckiest thing?
I love discovering new New Zealand work and sharing it. Make more please everyone!

It’s also great that new opportunities and projects have started opening up for me. I’m meeting wickedly inspiring and ridiculously talented people, and together we’re starting to work on projects or talk about things we could do.

The suckiest thing is not (yet) being able to be full-time with Fancy and related projects. It wunt heppun overnoit, but ut difunutly wull heppin. That’s my joke from 1997.

Whats your fave blog….

…Of all time
Swiss-miss, and I would like to buy Tina Roth Eisenberg a nice Italian meal.

…Right now
Design Love Fest, oh yes.

…For interiors
Seriously too many to mention! Lemme pick two – Design Sponge for real lived-in looking homes, Nordic Design because I’m freaky for Scandi style.

…For design
There’s nothing like a fresh identity to get my heart racing, and September Industry and Identity Designed both serve up the quality. Friends of Type are friends indeed, and Designspiration is a good eye candy too, with a scrapbook flavour.

So what’s up for Fancy in 2013?
A complete re-design (at long last) and more content, as I plan to give Fancy a lot more time. Ooh, and some other exciting things which are about taking the Fancy brand offline – one of which is printed, the other an event.

Finally, got any tips for start-up bloggers to get them over the global average 3 month lifespan?
Only blog if you would do it for free for years, with no recognition at all. It’s not glamorous, unless you think New Zealand’s Got Talent is also glamorous. On the same note, pick a niche that you personally really love, even if it’s a photo blog of awkward office party dancing. It doesn’t mean you can’t evolve into awkward family reunion dancing, but at least it’ll keep you going when it feels like no-ones reading.

Chances are, Fancy is already in your bookmarks. But if not, check it out here.

The post Fave Blogger Interviews: Alana from Fancy! NZ Design Blog appeared first on NZ Art Prints & Originals Curated in New Zealand | endemicworld.com NZ ART blog.