About

I've always described myself as having an overactive imagination and the ability to do something about it, so I love this sign in the Christchurch Art Centres car park. 

Hi I'm Nicola Garlick.

❤️How did your business begin? 

I started melting plastic 2018 when my son was making a surfboard for school. He needed to make a fin. I had already been fusing plastic bags together, so we did some research on how to make a fin from recycled plastic bottle lids. It worked a treat, and I was hooked. I did the deep dive into Precious Plastic and found Brothers Make on YouTube. Then in 2023 I left my job as a teacher aide, brought my machines and haven’t looked back since.

🧡 What inspires your creativity?

Anything and everything but what keeps it going is seeing the thing in your imagination right in front of you, being able to touch it. Also being creative is so good for your mental health. 

💛 What's a cause your passionate about?

I do what I can to help raise money for the cancer society. I have entered the Tranz Alpine Scooter Safari for the last few rides. This is a biannual fundraising event, riding small cc scooters from Christchurch to Hokitika in the middle of winter. I get to really unleash my creative side on my poor wee bike. It's been a chicken a snail and Fred Flintstones car to name just a few. Usually, the month before the ride 100% of my profits go towards the Canterbury/West Coast division

💚 What's the biggest challenge you've had to overcome?

Paperwork! actually I don't think I have overcome it. I'd much rather be in the shed.  As an adult working in the primary school system, I learnt that I am probably dyslexic. Proudly! This means I get to think differently, wonderfully creative in my case but it makes the academic stuff really hard. Certainly would explain a lot about why my schooling was so dam hard.

💙 What's a skill you've always wanted to learn?

I've done a lot of different types of crafts, lots of them I've taught myself, I just figure out a way to make it work. But I've always wanted to learn to weld. Two things that have stopped me are, metal splinters hurt ALOT, and I'd probably need a tutor.

🩵 What make your products unique?

          I like to approach recycled plastic from an artist way of thinking. I want people to                see the beauty in the rubbish. 

💜 What's one thing you hope people will take away from your work?

I want my works to inspire conversations about waste and what better can be done with it.  What we need and what we really can do without.