Southern View: January 29, 2019

8 Tuesday January 29 2019
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
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SOUTHERN VIEW
Local
News
Now
Fire rages, homes at risk
Teen’s gift card business booming
Baby gear
impresses
Jacinda Ardern
• By Louis Day
SUMNER 13-YEAR-OLD Zoe
Elmey has sold more than 4500
gift cards featuring her own
designs, with the prime minister
being her most notable recipient.
Zoe sent some of her cards,
and bibs and teething rings
from her baby product range to
Jacinda Ardern as part of the
prime minister’s Christmas card
competition.
The former Sumner School
student was astounded when she
received a letter from Ms Ardern
thanking her for the gifts.
“It was amazing I didn’t expect
anything back, I thought it was
just going to add to the pile of
things she probably receives.”
Zoe started the business when
she was 10, since then her cards
have been sold in 22 stores across
the country as well as a shop in
Eastbourne, south-east England.
She has 26 different designs
which feature on various pieces
of artwork.
Fifty per cent of the proceeds
of a turtle card are donated
to Greenpeace to help them
continue to protect turtles from
plastic pollution.
She has also recently started
her own baby range which was
inspired by the arrival of her
newborn sister Hollyanne.
“I made so much stuff for her,
I was knitting and sewing and I
just loved the bibs and the teething
rings so I just started selling
them.”
Zoe sews all of the baby bibs,
burp cloths and material covering
her teething rings by hand,
which can take up to 20min.
“I’m probably different to the
usual teenager hanging out at the
beach and stuff. Basically, any
free time I have after school I’m
sewing and working on the baby
range.”
Zoe’s mother Becky Nisbet
CREATIVE: Zoe spends a lot of her free time sewing the items
in her baby product range. Right – A letter of thanks from
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. PHOTO: MARTIN HUNTER
said she had shown potential
from a very young age.
“When Zoe was at pre-school
she would spend all day doing
arts and crafts and making
presents for me when other kids
were in the playground and
sandpit.”
Ms Nisbet said she started
the business for her daughter to
encourage her to pursue a career
in art.
“My older sister was good at
art and my parents pushed her
into graphic design and away
from art, I wanted Zoe to do
something she loved and not just
something that makes money.”
Zoe and her mother were
forced to move house to accommodate
her booming business.
“We had boxes of her cards
all through the living room and
especially with having a baby
I got a bit fed up with that, so I
wanted a house that had an office
for her.”
Zoe’s business boomed after
her mother would show her
cards to gift shops while they
were on holiday.
“I just can’t help myself, we go
into the shop and just show them
the cards and they either show
an interest or not, they often do
though.”
Akaroa Dolphins Shop’s
Natalie Stuart said Zoe’s cards
were extremely popular with
customers.
“People come in and are
astounded that the cards were
made by someone so young, they
sell like hot cakes.”