But many of us wish we had the means or know how to make our own handmade delights. Thanks to people like Amy Campbell, who followed what appeared to be an unlikely sounding dream, we do.

As a child, Amy attended the Beacon Art School and since then, has always felt inspired to run a similar school with the hope of encouraging others. That notion, teamed with the recent government axing of adult education, alerted Amy to a gap in the market. She wanted to provide this sort of platform for people to come to learn, make and grow.

Craft Collective is the exciting new addition to the creative Tauranga scene. It is a learning space with a fun factor and provides locals with an outlet to make a mess and get crafty. It is an art, crafts and design school serving up an array of purposefully constructed workshops for both children and adults. These aren't just run of the mill art classes either. The innovative and cleverly developed workshops have something to suit everyone. DIY Beauty classes allow you to concoct your own organic skincare range or signature perfume. Kids are catered for with The Flying Squirrels sessions, which are run by prominent local artists for eight weeks each term. In addition, students can learn about interior design, sewing or printmaking and the team is constantly adding to their repertoire too to ensure that the classes are kept fun, relevant and interesting. Attendees are spoiled even further with organic herbal teas and paleo snacks: refreshments to keep the creative juices flowing. There's even a goodie bag at the end of it.

As if the exciting classes and clever condiments weren't enough of a draw card, Amy has utilised her savvy business acumen and taken the concept of the school one step further. By ensuring the creative theme is continued throughout, she has established an in-house gift shop, stocking a carefully curated range of homewares, jewellery, stationery and art prints from New Zealanders. 'We deliberately set out to source stock from the little guys, Mum and Dad businesses and independent artists.'

While the key focus at Craft Collective is to learn and have fun, there is also huge importance placed on encouraging health and wellbeing. These days we are all rushing around, trying to squeeze so much into our days and please everyone in the process. What we need to be mindful of is the importance in stepping back, slowing down and taking time out. This nourishes the soul, encourages us to grow and develop and in turn, become happier human beings. Recent research is testament to this and experts are drawing connections between mental health benefits reached when creating or crafting.

Although Amy has a background in finance, she knows she could not have taken this leap without the backing of her accountant. 'He's been a real sounding board and has helped me to monitor the income from the classes effectively, work out the best way to manage payroll and how to keep tabs on the sales from the art store. With all the set up and marketing I was focused on, it was good to have someone take care of this for me.'

Craft Collective opened their doors late last year and is already catering to sell out workshops. For more information, visit their website at www.craftcollective.co.nz